A Means to an End
by Dark Lunar Love 1914
Summary: It was just a means to an end. If he took Granger, it would be sabotaging both Potter and Krum. She was Potter's best friend after all and there was no hiding the obvious affection Krum always bestowed upon the girl. He could have never guessed though that the little spitfire who he rescued from the lake would become so attached to him nor he to her.


A Means to an End

Harry Potter Story

Summary: It was just a means to an end. If he took Granger, it would be sabotaging both Potter and Krum. It was obvious from over the years that Potter and Granger were at least close friends if not more, not to mention the obvious affections the star Bulgarian bestowed upon the girl. He could have never guessed though that the little spitfire who he rescued from the lake would become so attached to him nor he to her.

Pairing: Cedric Diggory x Hermione Granger

Rating: M

…

A rough, low inhuman growl tore through the throat of the large scarred man limping through halls of the school. The students, carrying books and lounging about the crowded halls in between their classes, quickly moved and scuttled around, determined not to get in the senile man's way. His electric blue eye maneuvering across the hectic movements of the students, all the while merely searching for one in particular. Cedric Diggory.

Now that the first step of his plan to alienate Potter was completed, though it took quite a while for the notoriously daft Longbottom to realize he wanted the boy to tell Potter about the Gillyweed for the Second Task, all that was left was Diggory. And while the boy was very intelligent he was also too trusting. 'Honestly all the students were, I mean who would actually willingly take advice from a man whom so easily manipulated the forbidden curses.'

His thoughts were stalled before they were even completely formed. The normally quiet yet popular boy with grey eyes and light brown hair was joking quietly with a few of the other members of his Quidditch team. He turned around slightly to his left, where Preece nodded towards, where Miss Chang was standing with her friends. Obviously though, despite the success of their date at the Yule Ball, a new awkwardness drifted over the Hufflepuff boy and Ravenclaw girl. That however made this even more easy to convince the boy of what he should do.

"Diggory. I hate to interrupt your little session of googley eyes with Miss Chang but I need a word. Up to my office then, boy. Come, come. Haven't got all day." said Moody harshly gripping the boy's arm so as to guide him towards where his office was faster.

It seemed an eternity, where it was actually merely a few minutes before the two entered the small room behind they Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Well take a seat, take a seat, Mr. Diggory." spoke Moody as he sat upon a strange looking trunk, once more taking a sip from his dragonskinned flask.

"Now, I want to talk to you about the next Task. You do realize what the Egg contained then, boy?" asked Moody seriously as the boy blushed and nodded in the affirmative.

"Yes, sir. The bath was a brilliant suggestion. Thank you." said Diggory looking around at the room, not noticing the way the Professor looked at him in glee.

"Not a problem, not a problem at all, my boy." growled out Moody, "_Come seek us where our voices sound, We cannot sing above the ground, And while you're searching ponder this; We've taken what you'll sorely miss, An hour long you'll have to look, And to recover what we took, But past an hour, the prospect's black, Too late it's gone, it won't come back._"

"Mermaids. In the Black Lake. They'll take one of my belongings and I'll have to find a way to breath underwater for an hour." he said happily.

"That's right. Any idea on what charm you'll perform?" asked Moody gruffly.

"The bubblehead charm, sir. Professor Flitwick taught it to our class just a few weeks ago."

"Good. Good. And your sorely missed objective?" asked the elder man both eyes finally landing on the Hufflepuff before him

"I haven't actually figured that part out yet, sir." mumbled the boy dejctedly.

"Hmmm." Moody hummed to himself, taking in the boy's posture and attitude toward the Second Task.

"I like you boy. And I'd prefer the Cup to go towards you than any of the other champions'." Alastair weaved delicately, "Not that Potter's bad, mind you, just … a little young and unlikely; though his bravery and hero complex have gotten him pretty far thus far, I doubt it will get him much farther."

Cedric looked up at hearing the defense teacher's confession. Shock clearly written all over his face. "Sir?"

"There shall be hostages, my boy, hostages based upon your dates and the interactions made by the four champions at the Yule Ball. Can you wager a guess as to what your sorely missed objective is now?" asked the man once more taking a sip from his flask as the magical clock from behind him ticked away in their silence.

"Cho. Cho is my objective?" asked Cedric though the way it was worded was more confirmative like than actually expecting an answer from the man. Though an answer was what he received from the war ridden man.

"Yes Miss Chang is your intended objective, though she does not have to be the only option to choose from." offered Moody internally congratulating himself when he saw Cedric falter in his musings.

"What?"

"Surely you can't be that dense. Even the foreign students who have associated themselves with Potter can see his crush for Miss Chang. Fewer though can see her looking back as soon as his back is turned. I happen to know for a fact that you see both, Mr. Diggory."

Cedric's silence was answer enough for Moody to continue, "Miss Granger has caught the attention of Mr. Krum and has the added bonus of being Potter's best friend. I wonder what they would do should she be rescued by someone who wasn't her intended savior? I think that's all, then. Consider what I'm implying boy, no one shall truly be in any harm, not the hostages at least, and it's only a means to an end. Your end. Good day, Mr. Diggory."

The door behind him, that Moody was facing was blown open and Cedric didn't need to be told twice. He quickly grabbed his things and made his way back to the common room. Several things running through his mind.

None more prominent than that of one Hermione Granger.

…

A Means to an End Chapter 1

Summary: It was just a means to an end. If he took Granger, it would be sabotaging both Potter and Krum. It was obvious from over the years that Potter and Granger were at least close friends if not more, not to mention the obvious affections the star Bulgarian bestowed upon the girl. He could have never guessed though that the little spitfire who he rescued from the lake would become so attached to him nor he to her.

Harry Potter Story

Pairing: Cedric Diggory x Hermione Granger

Rated: M

Dark Wolf Love


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